house would suffer badly when the dragons kill him, I think.
The big dragon was making his way toward them, his body as red as the blood that was making its way down Pem’s cheek from the gun being rammed into her skin. Patrick started yelling about money and blood. Before she could lose her house to dragon fire, Jamie fired twice.
The first bullet hit Pem in the shoulder. Jamie knew for a fact that it wouldn’t kill her, even if she wasn’t immortal. The second shot hit Patrick right between the eyes. As he fell back, he fired once, and the bullet went wild.
The dragon stopped moving, and she was glad for it. Dizzy now, she fell back into one of the chairs she’d only just gotten put together instead of sitting. Finn asked her several times if she was all right before she leaned over and puked in the grass beyond her decking. Looking up, she saw that Pem was being looked at and that Theo was standing close to her.
“Are you really a red dragon?” Finn said he was. “Would you have burnt my house if you’d hit Patrick?”
“Yes. More than likely. I would have rebuilt for you, but he would have been just as dead and gone. Are you all right, Jamie?” She said she thought she was. “You’ve been shot. Did you know that? The bullet entered your head. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I didn’t know.” Putting her fingers to her forehead, she felt the tender wound there. As she was trying to figure out if she was hurting, the bullet fell into her hand, and she stared at it. Holding it out to Finn, she asked him if that was natural to have it fall out like that.
“I have no idea. I’d say it is, but who the fuck knows? If you’re really all right, I’m going to see to Pem now. You just sit here until I can get my own heart to stop pounding. And I’d let Pem hold you as much as she wants. She’s freaked out.” She nodded and stopped when it hurt. “Theo, can you see to Jamie now? She needs Pem too after I make sure she’s going to be fine.”
Pem hugged her several times before she finally let her go. There was blood on them both, but neither of them seemed too terribly concerned about it. Jamie asked her friend if she was all right.
“I am now. I thought for sure that you were going to die when I saw where that bullet went. The fucker shot you after he was dead.” Jamie couldn’t help it; she laughed. “I don’t think that’s the least bit funny, Jamie. You could have been killed.”
“You were the one that told me that we were immortal and to shoot.” She said she had no idea that Patrick would shoot after she’d shot him. “Must have been a muscle contraction that had him firing. It happens sometimes.”
“It happens sometimes. Just like that, you’re all right with him shooting you after he was dead.” Jamie shrugged and watched Pem. “You’re taking this very well, you know. I’m worried that you’re going to be a basket case later.”
“I won’t be. He’s gone now, and we’re both all right. No more stress. All right?” Pem looked over to where Patrick’s body still lay. “No. Don’t look at him. Don’t feel sorry that he’s dead. Move on and up, Pem, the way we need to. You helped me save our lives, and I’ll never forget that. Thank you.”
“You saved my life too.” Pem hugged her tightly and looked into her face. “I can never thank you enough for pulling me away from being shot. Grandma will be so happy he’s gone. I think Uncle Austin will as well.”
Theo smiled at her. “I thank you as well. When Jangles came to us when we were in the barn, I thought for sure I was going to get to take him out. Thank you for saving the day, Jamie. I owe you as well.”
After Patrick’s body was taken away, she sat where she was. The pack was going to put him on their land and let him be eaten by the scavengers. There were policemen on the force that were part of the pack, and in a few days, probably more like a month, they were going to have someone call in that they’d found his body. By then, she’d bet his skull would have found itself in